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FAMILY AFFECTIONS (1)

WCR You had some thought about family relationships?

JT Yes, of course, in spiritual sense. I thought we might see that they flow out from what God is; that they abide, and so are not what we might speak of as provisional, but primary. Family relationships represent primary thoughts, or desires, of God and so they abide. I thought it would be helpful if we could look at them a little. Paul says, “I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom every family in the heavens and on earth is named” (Ephesians 3:14,15).

GWH-n You used the word ‘primary’ — what was your thought?

JT A primary thought is one that flows out from, or is expressive of, God’s own desires, apart altogether from sin or meeting its consequences.

GWH-n That which preceded sin?

JT Yes. A provisional thing is something that God entered into to meet conditions that arose. Provisional relationships terminate. Primary thoughts remain and, as it is said, the Father names every family, we see from this what an interest He has in families, and how they take character representatively from Christ. The names they receive indicate what they are; for instance, it is said of us, “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God” (1 John 3:1) — a fact that should lay hold of our hearts. In John’s gospel we read that, “He came to his own, and his own received him not, but as many as received him, to them gave he the right to be children of God”, (John 1:11,12) — to take that place. That refers to the liberty we have in our souls, but the epistle says we are called children of God; we are designated in that way.

WGR In Galatians it says, “Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father”, Galatians 4:6.

JT There you have the power suited to the relationship already established.

GWH-n These relationships are what lay behind the coming of the Son into manhood.

JT Yes, exactly. These were in the heart of God and the Son became Man in order to make them effective; so that I thought we had in Abraham, in that way, a foreshadowing of the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. “Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, Isaac”, Genesis 22:2. That was said to Abraham. The relationship of father and son is there in a unique way. It is the first time we get love mentioned in Scripture, and I think it foreshadowed the relationship between God and Christ — announced at His baptism. “Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, Isaac”, Genesis 22:2. When we come to Galatians we see that the others are not counted; those born after the flesh are not the children of promise. “In Isaac shall a seed be called to thee”, Genesis 21:12. We have to see that we are on spiritual lines in considering Abraham as father and Isaac as son.

WGR As a matter of fact, he had Ishmael for a son, but he was not recognised.

JT And others, too, the children of Keturah, but God would develop the great thought that He had before Abraham was. As the Lord says, “Before Abraham was, I am”, John 8:58. Divine thoughts were there. They claimed to be children of Abraham, but the true children of Abraham had to be found elsewhere. They were not the children of ^[p. 328] the flesh.

GWH-n Do you not think that this gives great force to the provisional ways of God?

JT I think it does. Provisional ways are somewhat like the scaffolding to a structure. The structure is what is going to abide. The provisional things are, of course, a witness to what God is, but what He cherishes is the family, and that is what abides.

GWH-n So in Genesis 22:6. “They went both of them together”; the father and son walk with this in view.

JT Yes, and then after the death and resurrection of Christ in type, they come back to the young men, and all went together to Beer-sheba, so you have an increased company. Figuratively you have a forecast of what we have got.

JS Abraham is a pattern father and Isaac is a pattern son.

JT Abraham, through acquaintance with God, had acquired parental instincts that may be regarded as spiritual, for he is said to be the father of all believers. Stephen remarked that he removed into Canaan after his father died, showing that natural parental influences do not enter into the purpose of God. “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house” (Genesis 12:1), but then it says that Terah took Abraham, his son, and came to Haran (chapter 11:31). That was not going out of his father’s house; but Stephen says “after his father died”. That has to be recognised.

GWH-n Movement began then.

JT Yes, hence it is Abraham as clear of natural relationships that we have before us.

WHF So that we must regard these dwelling places as spiritual.

JT Yes. I thought by calling attention to these passages we might see how this great principle of paternal instincts and affections is worked out in the dwelling places. You must have the dwelling place if ^[p. 329] you have the family, so the first thing is that Abraham dwelt in the land of Canaan. That is the first thing that comes in. It is said in Hebrews that he “dwelt in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise”, Hebrews 11:9. The promise was of the land, so that in principle he is already dwelling there.

WHF It is on the line of God’s purpose.

JT That is it. As we were singing, ‘We seek the things that are above’. Our citizenship is in the heavens. Our living associations are there. Abraham dwelt in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise. He would regard them as having part with him in their great spiritual inheritance. That is, the promises that refer to Abraham, refer to Isaac and to Jacob also, and he would, in the light of that, convey to them that they were sharing the same thing in family relationship.

WGR They were edified by living with him.

JT Yes, so at the outset we are lifted out of earthly relationships and moorings into the heavenly. It may be but in a little way we see it, but even the youngest Christian ought to see that his living associations are in heaven.

WHF In the psalm it speaks of how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. God seems to have the thought of dwelling before Him in all His ways, and the consequence of that is blessing.

GWH-n So you would not hesitate to call the attention of the youngest believer to this, would you?

JT No, that is the thing which comes before us at the very outset.

GAT In connection with what you are bringing out in regard to Abraham, we should be impressed with the fact that there are certain associations we ought to be found in even now, is that right?

JT Quite. The apostle John, who deals with this line more than any of the others, shows us from the outset that the thought of dwelling and of the ^[p. 330] family was before him; but in chapter 2 of his gospel he brings in the water of purification. Mary says to the Lord, “they have no wine”. Well, that seemed a very simple remark, but he says, “Woman, what have I to do with thee?(John 2:3,4)” He is preparing for the spiritual order of things. Then she submits and takes her place. “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it”, (John 2:5) she says. There were six water pots of stone, but they were empty; they were to be filled up to the brim, meaning that relationships are not to be according to nature, they are to be spiritual, but if spiritual they must be pure. The very best natural relationships we can have are impure. Now there is nothing more important to take into one’s soul than that — the very best relationships are not pure. In fact, it says the heavens are not pure, in His sight, hence the necessity for the water of purification. The pots were to be filled up to the brim. There must be complete purification. The Lord in John 3:5 says, “Except any one be born of water and of Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God”. I think that very often we dwell on the Spirit and forget the water. That is to say, at the very root — the very outset of our moral being, the principle of water is necessary, because there must be purification. The life must be pure from taint, and John, I think, lays the basis for family relationships in that way. They must be in purity.

WHF Water indicates a setting aside of the man after the flesh, does it not?

JT Yes, all those relationships, good as they are, as created of God, are impure.

WCR You mean the relationship of husband and wife is impure?

JT All is tainted.

GAT How do you explain that?

JT It shows what a terrible havoc sin has wrought in humanity. It enters into everything. So ^[p. 331] that we may not be deceived, and mix things. The spiritual is by itself; everything is “after his kind”. That is a principle in the Scriptures; things must not be mixed. See Genesis 1. The vessels filled to the brim means that I am wholly pure. I have to come to apprehend the death of Christ in this light.

WGR Those at the marriage would ignore that. We were noticing this morning the danger of natural relationships affecting us morally. Where they are not held with God they swamp us.

JT I am sure that is a constant danger to which we are exposed. Abraham, taken up by God, should be considered. Romans 4 says that he is the “father of us all”, so you consider your father. You see your spiritual father, and he as such depicted what God is as Father.

GAT In selecting a wife for his son, Isaac, he was most careful that she be taken from his own stock.

JT Yes, that is just what comes out, so, living at Beersheba, the next thing is he heard, “Behold, Milcah, she also has borne sons to thy brother Nahor: Uz his first-born, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram, and Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel (and Bethuel begot Rebecca.)” (Genesis 22:20 - 23.) That comes to light at Beersheba. He comes into the light of the assembly, as viewed from the family side. Rebecca is thus fit to be Isaac’s bride.

WB-t In the first passage we read it says, “Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom”. It says of Lot that he dwelt in the cities of the plain. Lot separated from Abram. Deliverance from Lot came as a consequence.

JT Yes, as living in Canaan, Abraham held to his calling and everything was regulated accordingly. All your projects for yourself and your family are in ^[p. 332] the light of that. You may say, Well, what is your standard for your children? This is the standard and you cannot get a higher one. Our children should be impressed with the great spiritual dignity and wealth that, as believers, we are enriched with.

GAT Lot’s standard for his children was Sodom.

JT His sons-in-law ridiculed him when he talked about leaving Sodom. He had no power with them, for his associations were there.

WGR Abram says to Lot, “If thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right”, Genesis 13:9.. He wished no strife between brethren, and was prepared to suffer any disadvantage in Lot having first choice.

Lot chose the best according to the natural point of view, and what is the consequence of it?

GAT Lot took four steps backward. The first one was covetousness, he coveted the well-watered plains; the second, he pitched his tent toward Sodom; then, third, you see him in the gate of the city; the fourth, he was drunk.

WGB And you see the result in his family.

JT Yes, a sorrowful family it was. It says, “Lot lifted up his eyes” — but, alas! not to survey the promised land, like Abram, but to look into the world in its delusive attractiveness. It says, “And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of the Jordan that it was thoroughly watered, before Jehovah had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah; as the garden of Jehovah, like the land of Egypt, as one goes to Zoar. And Lot chose for himself all the plain of the Jordan” (Genesis 13:10,11).

WGR “Like the land of Egypt”; that would correspond with Lot’s state of soul.

GAT You would call him an earthly minded person, I suppose?

JT I think he considered just for the present and had no thought for the calling of God at all. Like Demas, he loved the present ^[p. 333] world.

WB-t As dwelling in Canaan, everything was by faith with Abraham; he was looking for the world to come, not the present one.

JT Yes. “He looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God”, Hebrews 11:10.

GAT Lot wanted a city also, but only such as the world affords. Even a small one of these would satisfy him.

JT As to us, much enters into our projects what our outlook is. Now, “Lot lifted up his eyes”. He did it of himself. Then it says, “And Jehovah said to Abram, after that Lot had separated himself from him, Lift up now thine eyes”, Genesis 13:14. God is asking Abram to do it. Lot did it himself, but here Jehovah says, “Lift up now thine eyes”. This is another outlook. He says, “Look from the place where thou art, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land that thou seest will I give to thee, and to thy seed forever” (Genesis 13:14,15).

WHF Lot seems to have been a hindrance to Abraham. He does not seem to make very much progress until Lot separates from him. First, his father dies, then Lot leaves him and he is free.

JT God would have us in that way to start with Him alone. “I called him alone.”, He says, “and blessed him”, Isaiah 51:2. Each one of us has to start thus, and it is an immense thing to begin with Canaan in view. You say, I thought that was the end of the gospel. But God puts the best at the start. Your conscience may need help, relief and purging, but God puts the very best at the beginning.

WGR “Thou shall bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance”, Exodus 15:17. Israel sang that at the beginning of their journey in the wilderness.

JT The great thing is to be governed by the light, thus you are in the right position. Abraham ^[p. 334] dwelt in the land of Canaan. He was in the right position. It is from the place where, you are now that you are to look.

GWH-n You look from that place?

JT Yes, he was in the right position. Lot had separated. The worldly element had gone.

GAT Abram was up to it. He was positionally right and morally right. We are often positionally right — as, for instance, at the Lord’s supper — but not morally right.

JT The next thing is, he is at the oaks of Mamre. His living associations are right. He is not considering for earthly advantages. Lot was. You see he is maintaining his position in relation to the purpose of God, and in due time the children come in. Isaac and Jacob come in, and this is what they come into. They are “heirs with him”, it says, “of the same promise”, but what a promise it was! A promise that God made to him. All was to be shared jointly, but shared in dwellings, in family relationships. Now you see the exercise one had was that we might see first of all that Abraham represents the father. He represents that thought in Scripture. His name signifies that and the first great thing about him is that he dwelt in the land of Canaan.

WHF Abraham was right and he went on.

JT And the next thing is he removed his tent “and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron”. Now in that, I think, we have the thought of stability. A spiritual man knows where he is, he is not carried about by every wind of doctrine or influence.

WB-t Quite an advance over verse 12. He has the right position there, generally speaking. He is in the land of Canaan.

JT Yes, and his general outlook is that he has the purpose of God before him. You may say, How would this work out? You do not allow anything ^[p. 335] different from it. There may be touches of sorrow in connection with your children, and what not, but this is your association, and all your projects are in relation to it.

WB-t I have been struck in connection with the parable of the sower. In explaining it to His disciples, the Lord says, “in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it and bring forth fruit with patience”, Luke 8:15. This sets forth a Christian, “an honest and good heart”, etc., and you can go on with such.

JT It is a great thing to be stable. One who dwells by the oak of Mamre is stable. There is uncertainty all around, but you are dwelling there. The next chapter brings in the war of the nine kings, and Lot is carried away in it; but of Abraham it says, “And one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew. And he dwelt by the oaks of Mamre”, Genesis 14:13. That was where he dwelt, he was not carried away.

GWH-n No believer is safe with his feet off the ground of purpose. As in Sodom, Lot was exposed to the enemy. But of Abraham it says, he had three hundred and eighteen trained servants born in his house. He had the means by him to meet the emergency, and was able to recover his brother.

JT One has known how easily brethren get carried away. They are not dwelling in divine association or standing on their own feet. Lot is an example of this, he is carried away and his property. But where was Abraham when they came to tell Him? By the oaks of Mamre.

GWH-n So if you have a profound sense in your soul of the purpose of God you are able to go after your brother who is moving away.

JT You are on solid ground yourself and can pull him out of the morass.

^[p. 336] GWH-n You love your brother and would have him with you.

HWD What ministry would you suggest to a person that they might become dwellers among the oaks?

JT The truth of the resurrection of Christ. Colossians, I think, answers to the oaks of Mamre. They were in Hebron and part of the inheritance that Caleb asked for.

HJG As risen with Christ we seek the things that are above where He sitteth at the right hand of God.

JT Yes, just so.

GAT Would you say that at the start he had to do with God alone? I think the secret of Christian progress is how I start. Have I had to do with God?

JT Yes. God appeared to Abraham. It is the way God is apprehended in your soul. These things come to you one after the other, but the first apprehension of God in your soul gives character to you afterwards.

Ques You mean as revealed in Christ?

JT Surely. “The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia” (Acts 7:1). There would be the suggestion of what God had in His heart to effect that appearance. Abraham would never forget that. He would not perhaps understand it then, but he did afterwards.

GAT Paul, in telling of his conversion, spoke of how he had to do with Lord personally.

JT Quite. There was the first appearance, then the Lord says: “And of what I shall appear to thee in” (Acts 26:16), and there are in some sense these appearances with us. The Lord has His own way of making Himself known to each of us; one way with you and another with me, but He seeks opportunities to reveal Himself to us, and these appearances are what make ^[p. 337] the man.

WGR They give an impression, do they not? It says of Paul, “The Lord stood by him and said, Be of good courage, for as thou hast testified the things concerning me at Jerusalem, so thou must bear witness at Rome also”, Acts 23:11.

JT That appearance would, of course strengthen his soul.

WHF It says Abram built an altar.

JT There are two so far. The first one was at Bethel, but this second one shows he was progressing. Lot had separated from him, then Abram moved his tents and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, where he built an altar, all of which would show he was getting on.

WHF It denotes progress.

JT Yes. Abraham is qualifying for the great spiritual family of which he is to be father. He has lived in the land of Canaan (a general thought) and now dwells by the oaks of Mamre (a particular locality). After offering up Isaac he goes to Beer- sheba. It says, “And Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham dwelt at Beersheba”, Genesis 22:19. He and Isaac had gone up to the mount together. It says, “And they went both of them together. And they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built the altar there”, Genesis 22:8,9. But then when God intervenes and he returns, it says he returned to his young men. That is to say, he comes down from the mount of the Lord with the light of divine provision in his heart. He called the name of the place Jehovah-jireh, meaning, “As it is said at the present day, On the mount of Jehovah will be provided”. (Genesis 22:14) It had become a current saying in Israel up to the time of Moses, because it is Moses who writes this book, and no one better understood what the mount of Jehovah meant than Moses. He had been on it on two occasions of forty days each,

^[p. 338] with the Lord. He heard Jehovah opening up great thoughts there, unfolding the pattern of the tabernacle and the types of the Lord Jesus as a sacrifice and Priest. He would be impressed with the fact that Jehovah had abundance; indeed, all that was necessary for the carrying out and effectuating of His thoughts. Moses would acquire all that knowledge on the mount of the Lord, and know what it meant. So when he records this instance of Abraham, he would well understand it. It was a current saying in Israel, no doubt, in his day. Well, Abraham came down from the mount with the knowledge in his soul that God was faithful and would provide everything, and he came to his young men and they went together. It was an illuminated company — as they wended their way south to Beersheba.

WGR I was wondering if you would say God appeared to Abraham as the Almighty, giving him the light of that in his soul here. He gives Abraham the light of himself as the God of resurrection (for He raised Isaac from the dead here typically). It is additional light, and God confirms it to him in his own soul. Is that right?

JT Quite so. It says he received him again from the dead, in a figure.

WGR We may have light about God in a way, but there comes a time when He makes that effective in our souls; we arrive at it, so to speak, and now Abraham arrives at a knowledge of God as He appeared to him in the beginning, as Almighty.

JT Then you have in addition to that the promise, then the oath. It says, “And the angel of Jehovah called to Abraham from the heavens a second time, and said. By myself I swear, saith Jehovah, that because thou hast done this, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, I will richly bless thee, and greatly multiply thy seed, as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is on the seashore;

^[p. 339] and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves, because thou hast hearkened to my voice”, Genesis 22:15 - 18. What wonderful light was given to him! He not only had the promise, but also the oath. Jehovah called to him the “second time”. “For God having promised to Abraham, since he had no greater to swear by, swore by himself”,

(Hebrews 6:13). Well, now, it is all this that enters into Beersheba, because it is “the well of the oath”. That is, he is now dwelling in the place that denotes the faithfulness of God. We have the general purpose of God, and the stability of the purpose of God, and now the faithfulness of God.

RLG It is most interesting to look at Abraham as representing God Himself, as we have been noting, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all”, Romans 8:32. Abraham gave his son here. It illustrates God’s great purpose and plan.

JT There are two things running through here. One is that Abraham is a foreshadowing of God himself in giving Christ; the other is the education of Abraham, and in that he is a type of the believer as well. This third dwelling place denotes that he has now arrived at the knowledge in his soul of the faithfulness of God.

GWH-n It is not man’s relief here so much as what the death of Christ yields for God. The temple was built on this spot, was it not?

JT Scholars are not satisfied about that; it was in the land of Moriah. There is that which is for God in the resurrection of Christ; it says Abraham received Isaac back from the dead in figure. I take that to be the man of faith seeing, all that his heart cherished (for everything centred in Isaac) go into death, but it comes out again. He has him now out of death and so has him permanently, and I think that is what Beersheba means — the faithfulness of ^[p. 340] God. Everything is secured in a risen Christ, so when Jacob comes down here later and is going to Egypt (Genesis 46:1 - 3) it says, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac, not his father Abraham. God, as it were, confirms that in saying, “I am God, the God of thy father; fear not to go down to Egypt”, meaning that whatever the outward appearances, everything is secured in Christ.

GWH-n Referring to Abraham returning to the young men and conversing with them, that would be in the spirit of relationship, would it not, sharing what had been secured in the death of Isaac?

JT Now that is the kernel of what was in my mind; you have the Father and the Son. The father has the son back, figuratively, from the dead. Before he delivered him up it was, “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac”. (Genesis 22:2) How that would go to his heart! But he went on with Isaac, “They went both of them together”, Genesis 22:6, and now he has got him back, and you can think of what was in Abraham’s heart as he went down the mountain to the young men with his son, his only son, whom he loved! He had him now permanently. Well, he joined the young men, and what would they see? A father with a son risen from the dead (figuratively in his case, but when we apply it to the antitype, it is God and Christ), and that is where the truth of family relationship lies, for it is here that we come in, as we learn from John 20.

GAT Think of the heart of the blessed God: He had an only Son, and the time came when He had to offer Him up. As Christ was in the garden in agony, how the heart of the Father must have been touched!

JT He spoke to the Father: “If thou be willing, remove this cup from me”, Luke 22:42. All that enters into this.

JAR He comes back now to talk with the young ^[p. 341] men. Would that refer to Christ coming to His own after resurrection?

JT I think it does. What would they see? They would see Abraham’s delight in his son as received back. He loved Isaac, and now that he had him back he would look at him in an entirely new way, and so it says, “Abraham returned to his young men and they rose up and went together”, he and the young men. What an item of education for these young men!

CMY A heavenly company is typically seen here.

JT Just so. It was an educational time for them.

HWD Would you think the ministry of Christ risen from the dead produces these young men?

JT I think the disciples come into this. John 20 teaches that the disciples of the Lord were brought into His relationship with the Father. It is as risen from among the dead that the Lord gives us to have part in the family.

WGR When the Lord appeared in the midst on the morning of resurrection the disciples saw something, so to speak, that they never saw before.

JT Yes, the great results of His death, perfectly valued by Himself, would give character to the scene. They had contemplated His glory before, but now He had been into death and had come out of it. The sense of all this would be present, although not yet fully understood by the disciples.

GAT Now applying this to ourselves, when Abraham came back to the young men supposing they had ignored or made light of Isaac, what would Abraham think of that? Do we not ignore the Lord a good deal and make light of Him, even as Christians?

JT The Lord would impress us with the necessity for spirituality in divine things. I was thinking of Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5). He healed the demoniac ^[p. 342] in public, and He healed the woman with the issue of blood in public. The crowd did not affect that, but when raising Jairus’ daughter and bringing her into the circle of life, He put everybody out; the musicians and all are put out but Peter, and James, and John, and the father and mother of the child. She was brought into that circle, and what a circle it was!

WGR Resurrection is not a public thing.

JT No, I am brought into a holy, sober, spiritual sphere. There were seven there — the Lord Himself, Peter, James, John, the father, mother, and the girl raised up make a circle of seven. She was raised up into that circle.

GWH-n Brought into life. So there are relationships existing now that are permanent.

JT And young people are brought into life in that scene. It is a pure, holy scene. “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren”, 1 John 3:14. The love is a holy love.

GWH-n Later on in the book of Genesis, when Jacob goes into Egypt, he says to Joseph, “I had not thought to see thy face; and lo, God hath showed me also thy seed”. He also claimed them, saying, “they shall be mine”, Genesis 48:5 - 11.

JT H e was a true parent; doubtless he had learned from his father Abraham in this regard. We shall have more as to that later, but before we close we ought to see more clearly what comes out in Beersheba. It is God’s eternal faithfulness in Christ. Abraham went there with the young men and Isaac; typically it was a wonderful company. It says, “Abraham dwelt at Beersheba”. He had now the light of the faithfulness of God. Upon that, additional light is given. It says, “And it came to pass, after these things, that it was told, Abraham saying, Behold, Milcah, she also has borne sons to thy brother Nahor”, Genesis 22:20. Note, it was told him. We are now in the ^[p. 343] presence of the assembly, for it goes on to say: “Uz his first born, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel, the father of Aram, and Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel. (And Bethuel begot Rebecca”.) (Genesis 22:20 - 23). Abraham has the light now of a suitable companion for Isaac; the family relationships are to be extended, but the bride is to be lineally suited to Isaac. Being related to Abraham, she is of the right line.

GWH-n You were quoting from Ephesians 3: “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom every family in the heavens and on earth is named”, Ephesians 3:14,15. This would be Ephesians 1:19, would it not? “And what the surpassing greatness of his power towards us who believe, according to the working of the might of his strength, in which he wrought in the Christ in raising him from among the dead, and he set him down at his right hand in the heavenlies, etc., and gave him to be head over all things to the assembly”. (Ephesians 1:19,20; Ephesians 1:22) Rebecca comes in there.

JT That is right. This light as to the assembly typically comes in at Beersheba, the family relationships are to be extended, so in chapter 24, after the death of Sarah, Abraham directs his servant to go to his kindred and seek a wife for his son Isaac. You see the faithful parental instincts in Abraham all through here.

WCR Are you looking at Abraham as a believer when you say that?

JT I am keeping in mind the two lines already Mentioned — that is, he represents the mind of God in regard to Christ and the assembly, and, on the other hand, Abraham is a type of the believer in the way in which he progresses in the knowledge of the truth.

HWD Isaac’s bride was to be called from Abraham’s relatives.

JT That is, “He that sanctifies and those sanctified are all of one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren”, Hebrews 2:11. That precedes the truth of the assembly. One has to be in the light of the relationship in which we are set with Christ to understand the assembly. The assembly is formed of His brethren.

TH Does this work out with Abraham as it does with us? We all know that ultimately death will sever all links and ties of nature, and so Abraham takes the knife, he appropriates death, and in order to come into divine relationships we have to go into death. There is no entering into life without appropriating death.

JT He went through death in offering up Isaac. The requirement that even Isaac had to go into death was the supreme test of Abraham’s faith.

OJO He had actually raised the knife, he had come to that point.

GAT What would you say about Eliezer? He was really the one who found the wife.

JT His name is not mentioned in connection with Rebecca. It is Abraham’s servant. He observes the will of Abraham.

WB-t In chapter 24 Isaac is set before us as a lonely man meditating in the field. Rebecca asks, “Who is the man that is walking in the fields to meet us?”(Genesis 24:65) Typically, Christ is now in the view of the assembly. “It is not good that Man should be alone”;(Genesis 2:18) we can think of Christ in the light of that.

JT His mother had died. Israel was deceased.

WGR God does not give Christ that which is beneath His dignity.

JT That is it.

WGR The assembly is not beneath Him; it is of His own kindred. I suppose it is a great moment with us when we arrive at that, that we are kindred ^[p. 345] to Christ.

JT That is the light that comes to Abraham here. Then in chapter 24 he causes the servant to swear to take a wife for Isaac from his kindred. The light had come to him that she was there.

WCR Adam said, “This time it is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh”. (Genesis 2:23) He recognised himself in Eve.

JAB Bethuel begot Rebecca. There is nothing mentioned about any other children.

JT That is the point in chapter 24. Abraham acts on the light given. He knew she was there, but does not mention her to the servant; he has to go and find her.

GAT Is that the same as the treasure hidden in the field?

JT Pretty much. The ministry of Paul brought her in, but the Lord had spoken of the assembly in the days of His ministry.

“The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham”;(Acts 7:2) the glory itself shall shine out ultimately in the family. On Christ shall be hung all the glory of His Father’s house; Isaiah 22:24.

WHF “The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into his hand”, John 3:35. So Abraham is a figure of God as Father.

JT Quite.

GWH-n What dignified thoughts the “young men” would have as they returned! Doubtless they would listen and respond to all that was presented to them in Abraham and Isaac.

GAT Quite different from the thoughts of the two on the road to Emmaus — they thought Isaac was dead, but the Lord revealed Himself to them as risen.

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